(Sibley)– Fire Tuesday heavily damaged a house in Sibley.
Firefighters were called around 8:30 am to 509 4th Street and found heavy black smoke and flames coming out of a window. The Little Rock Fire Department was then called for assistance. Sibley Fire Chief Ken Huls says they quickly knocked the fire down, but there was an extensive overhaul as the damage extended to the attic.
Huls says a person who was in the home reported hearing popping noises from upstairs and upon investigating discovered black smoke and flames. He escaped uninjured and called 911.
Huls says it appears the fire was the result of lithium-ion battery in a laptop computer that was being charged.
Damage to the house was put at roughly $250,000. A neighboring house sustained smoke damage as well. Firefighters were on the scene about three hours.
Huls says charging lithium-ion batteries, which are present in most electronic devices, is now a common cause for structure fires. He says it’s important to unplug them once they’re fully charged, and not to leave them unattended while they’re charging.
